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Chevrolet Silverado
|production=1998–present |class=Full-size pickup |body_style=2-door regular cab 3-door extended cab 4-door extended cab 4-door crew cab Dually |layout=Front-engine, rear-wheel drive / Four-wheel drive |predecessor=Chevrolet/GMC C/K }} The Chevrolet Silverado (along with its GMC counterpart, the GMC Sierra), is the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors. History Although General Motors introduced its first pickup truck in 1930, the term "Silverado" was a designation used only to detail the higher level trim for the Chevrolet C/K pickup trucks and Suburbans from 1975 through 1999. GMC used a few variations of the "Sierra" name (Sierra, High Sierra, Sierra Grande, Sierra Classic) to distinguish the different trim levels through 1987, though the "C/K" nomenclature was continued through 1999. "C" (or "R" for 1987) trucks had rear-wheel drive while "K" (or "V" in 1987) models had four-wheel drive. Both Chevrolet and GMC dropped the "C" and "K" designations in 1999. However Chevrolet still uses the CK and the CC in their current model codes. The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks have been essentially the same for their entire history. The Silverado today is generally advertised as the "lower" version, while the Sierra has more luxury options. There are some trim and option variations as well. Early models included variations in the engine and equipment, but the present differences are slight. The 1999 redesign included different grilles and interior trim, and certain features (e.g. Quadrasteer) were included at different times on the two trucks. GMT800 |length= Hybrid: |width= |height= Hybrid 2WD: Hybrid 4WD: }} The GMT800 Silverado/Sierra 1500 (light pickup trucks) were released in 1998 as 1999 models. The "classic" light-duty GMT400 C/K trucks were continued in production for that first year alongside the new models, and the Heavy-Duty GMT400 pickups (alongside the GMT400 SUVs) were continued through 2000, with the new GMT800 Silverado/Sierra HD (Heavy Duty) introduced in 2001. Light duty There are a number of models of light-duty Silverados and Sierras, including the half-ton, SS, and Hybrid. The light-duty trucks generally use the 1500 name. They are available in three cab lengths, 2-door standard/regular cab, 3 or 4-door extended cab, and front-hinged 4-door crew cab. Three cargo beds are available, including a short box, standard box, and a long box. The short box is only available with the extended or crew cab, and is the only option on the latter. For the first year, only the regular cab and 3-door extended cab were available, along with the Vortec 4300 V6, Vortec 4800 V8, and the Vortec 5300 V8. A 4-door extended cab was added for 2000, and output on the 5.3 L engine increased to and . The 6.0 L Vortec 6000 V8 was added for the 2001 Heavy Duty models, rated at , with the GMC Sierra 1500 C3 getting an uprated version of this engine. The Silverado Z71 got an optional lighter composite box, with a suspension package for towing, but lacked the high-output engine. The C3 became the Denali for 2002, and Quadrasteer was added. GM made a reworked version of the Silverado/Sierra in 2003, with a new front end, and a slightly updated rear end. In IIHS frontal crash tests the Silverado was given a "marginal" overall score for poor structural integrity and poor dummy control, although no injuries were recorded on the dummy's body regions. Models Image:1999-2002 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 extended.jpg|1999–2002 Silverado 1500 extended cab Image:2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500.jpg|2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 regular cab Image:GMC-Sierra.jpg|1999–2002 GMC Sierra 1500 extended cab Image:03-06 GMC Sierra.jpg|2003–2006 GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab GMC Sierra C3/Denali GMC created an upscale version of its Sierra 1500 in 2001 called the Sierra C3. It used all-wheel drive with a 3.73 final drive gear ratio and included the 6.0 L Vortec 6000 LQ4 V8 rated at at 5000 rpm and 370 lb•ft (502 N·m) of torque at 4000 rpm coupled to a 4L60E-HD four speed automatic transmission along with other upscale equipment. For 2002, the name was changed to Sierra Denali, but the specifications remained essentially the same except for the addition of Quadrasteer and GM changed from the 4L60E-HD to the 4L65E in conjunction with a 4.10 final drive gear ratio. The Denali is rated for towing and hauling in the cargo box. The Sierra Denali was initially equipped with Delphi's Quadrasteer system as standard equipment. It was a 4-wheel steering system that greatly reduced the truck's turning radius and improved lane changing while towing. General Motors dropped Quadrasteer from the Sierra Denali after the 2004 model year and its entire lineup after 2005 due to poor sales of this expensive option.GM cuts 4-wheel steering - 02/18/05 For the '07 model year, the Sierra Denali shares the same billet grille from the other Denali models, and also has the same dash as the '07 SUV's. The '07 Sierra Denali was initially the only half ton pickup that had a 6.2 liter with and of torque coupled to a six speed transmission. This truck is also an optional all wheel drive vehicle and goes 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds. Chevrolet Silverado SS Launched in 2003, the Silverado SS is a high-performance pickup truck built by Chevrolet. It is based on the standard 1500 Silverado, with upgrades in drive train and both exterior and interior appearance. It uses the 6.0 liter Vortec High-Output V8 rated at at 5200 rpm and of torque at 4000 rpm coupled to a 4L65E four speed automatic transmission. This was the same engine used for the second generation Cadillac Escalade. Chevrolet and GMC advertise this engine as the "VortecMAX", while Cadillac calls it the "HO 6000". The SS debuted with a standard All Wheel Drive setup with a 4.10 final drive gear ratio, but was later changed to the current Rear Wheel Drive only format with a 3.73 final drive gear ratio. The Silverado SS also comes with the Z60 performance suspension and 20 inch chrome wheels. Intimidator SS In 2006, Chevrolet released a special edition Silverado SS under the name "Intimidator SS" (licensed by Dale Earnhardt Inc.) to honor the late Dale Earnhardt. The truck came with several minor appearance upgrades, a lowered ride height, performance suspension, two-stage multi-leaf springs, Tenneco shock absorbers, a stiffer front stabilizer bar and harder front jounce bumpers, but left the bulk of the truck the same as the regular SS. Vortec High Output / Vortec Max The Vortec High Output (also known as the VHO by some enthusiasts) was first introduced in 2004 to a limited market (mainly consisting of Texas and several surrounding areas). The VHO package (under option code B4V) included several options previously not found on the standard 1500 model, most notably the LQ9 6.0 L V-8 engine (the same used for the Silverado SS and the Cadillac Escalade). The LQ9 motor was rated at at 5200 rpm and of torque at 4000 rpm, which was the same specifications shared in the SS models. The package also included one style of the newly introduced GM 20 inch wheels installed from the factory. The B4V package could only be ordered on an extended cab, or 4-door crew cab light duty, 2 or 4 wheel drive Silverado or Sierra. with or without Z71 packages. This marked the first time the LQ9 engine was available for a two wheel drive application. For the 2006 model year the Vortec Max package replaced the VHO with an array of similar features and new badges. It was also made available for crew cab models (in addition to the extended cab) and customers were able to purchase these trucks outside of the original market of the VHO. The newest Vortec Max Performance package introduced in 2007 on the GMT900 boasts an industry leading 10,500 pounds towing capacity. Hybrid GM launched a hybrid version of the Silverado/Sierra in 2005, becoming the first ever GM hybrid passenger vehicle. Known within GM as the Parallel Hybrid Truck or PHT it is not actually a parallel hybrid by the current definition, but a type of micro hybrid design. The electric motor housed within the transmission flywheel housing, serves only to provide engine cranking/starting, battery charging, and powering accessories. The engine automatically shuts down as the truck comes to a stop and uses 42 Volt electric power to the starter/generator unit to restart the engine as the brake pedal is released. Besides the typical 12V automotive battery the PHT uses three additional 12 Volt valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries mounted under the rear seat to store and provide power. The truck uses a 5.3 L Vortec 5300 V8 for primary propulsion power. The PHT features four 120 volt 20 amp AC outlets, two in the bed and two inside the cab under the rear seat. These are particularly interesting to the building/construction contractor market, since they often require AC power when on the job. Additionally, the extra reserves of power for the accessories make this truck well-suited to that market, where trucks often sit at idle for hours at a time. Availability was extremely limited at first, with commercial buyers getting the first allotment. Later in 2005, the truck was offered at retail in Alaska, California, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Canada. For 2006-07 the truck was generally available to retail buyers throughout North America. The Parallel Hybrid Truck was discontinued for the 2008 model year with the release of the GMT900 truck line. Starting in 2009, General Motors offers a second generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra equipped with a Two-Mode Hybrid powertrain and "2-mode continuous electric ratio hybrid with four fixed gears" (a continuously variable transmission combined with a standard four-speed automatic.) Heavy Duty |wheelbase= |width='2WD': 4WD: |height=76.0-77.4 in (1,930-1,966 mm) }} The HD variant is a heavy-duty light truck. It is a strengthened version of the Silverado/Sierra light-duty, and is available in the 1500HD, 2500HD, and 3500 models. The 1500HD, introduced in 2001, offers a Vortec 6000 V8 with at 5200 rpm and of torque at 4000 rpm with a Hydra-Matic 4L80E four-speed automatic transmission. The 2500HD also offers an available Duramax V8 with at 3000 rpm and of torque at 1600 rpm. Also available is the Vortec 8100 V8 with at 4200 rpm and of torque at 3200 rpm. The 2500HD has an available five-speed (six-speed for 2006-2007 models) Allison 1000 transmission. The Silverado 3500 offers the same engine/transmission features that the 2500HD does, however it is usually equipped with "dually" twin wheels at the rear and has a stronger suspension. The HD models are primarily used for towing and high-weight cargo. Towing capacity for the 1500HD is rated at , and can haul in the bed. The 2500HD ups these ratings to with the 8.1 liter engine or with the 6.0 liter engine, and , while the 3500 can tow and haul . The addition of 4 wheel drive tends to reduce the towing and carrying capacity by 200 to , depending upon year and model. Other factors, such as options, can also affect these numbers. Image:99-02 Chevrolet Silverado 2500.jpg|1999–2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 regular cab Image:Chevrolet-Silverado-3500.jpg|2003–2006 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 crew cab GMT900 4.8 L V8 5.3 L V8 6.0 L V8 6.2 L V8 |transmission=4-speed automatic 6-speed automatic |platform=GM GMT900 platform |length=Regular: Extended & Crew: Hybrid: |wheelbase=Regular: Extended & Crew: |width=Regular & Extended: Crew: |height=Regular & Extended: Crew: Hybrid 4WD: }} thumb|left|GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab The redesigned GMT900 generation of the Silverado/Sierra arrived in the last quarter of 2006 as a 2007 model. It features a redesigned exterior, interior, frame, and suspension as well as a power increases on certain engines. It takes styling cues from the 2007 GMT900 SUVs and the Chevrolet Colorado pickups. Like the GMT900 SUVs, these pickups also have greatly improved aerodynamics over their predecessors like steeply raked windshields and tighter panel gaps which improve fuel economy. The GMT800 models were continued in 2007 badged as "Classic", just as the GMT400 models continued for a year after the GMT800's introduction. The new Silverado earned the North American Truck of the Year award for 2007 and was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year for 2007. The half-ton Silverado has a starting price of $18,760 USD with its sibling, the GMC Sierra, being priced very similarly. Pricing for the Heavy Duty version begins at $24,575 for the 3/4-ton models, and $28,785 for the one-ton models. Like its predecessors, the new Silverado offers buyers a choice of two door regular cabs, four door extended cabs (with rear doors that now open 170 degrees similar to the Nissan Titan) and four door crew cabs with the rear doors opening in the same direction as the front doors. GM also offers the trucks in the traditional two and four wheel drive configurations. The Generation III small block V8 engines offered in the GMT 800 trucks will be replaced in the GMT 900 series by the Generation IV small block V8 engine family, featuring upgrades such as increased power and Active Fuel Management on the 5.3 L and 6.0 L V8s. A new high performance 6.2 liter V8 (with and of torque) was introduced with the 2007 Cadillac Escalade and 2007 GMC Denali line, and is now available on the Silverado LTZ trim line. This addition now makes the Silverado/Sierra trucks the second most powerful half-ton trucks available, after the Ford F-150. After skipping the 2008 model year, with 2007 being the last for the GMT800 hybrid line, a two-mode hybrid model will be introduced in late 2008 as a 2009 model."Reuters Article. Retrieved February 27, 2007. Image:'07 GMC Sierra Denali.jpg|2007 GMC Sierra Denali File:Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid--DC.jpg|2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid File:'09 GMC Sierra Hybrid (MIAS).JPG|2009 GMC Sierra Hybrid 6.6 L Duramax diesel V8 |transmission=6-speed 6L80E automatic 6-speed Allison 1000 automatic |platform=GM GMT910 platform |length=Varies greatly |wheelbase=Varies greatly |width= (Towing mirrors) |height= }} The 8.1 L big-block V8 is no longer offered on the Heavy Duty models, and no replacement has been announced. The majority of the GMT 900 trucks continue to be equipped with the four speed transmission that was found on the GMT 800 platform. A more modern 6L80 6-speed transmission is standard equipment on the GMC Sierra Denali and the similar 6L90 is standard in all Heavy Duty models."http://media.gm.com/us/powertrain/en/product_services/2008/08truck.htm As production capacity is established, 6-speed transmissions are expected to replace 4-speed transmissions on most truck models in coming years. There are two dash options offered in the new Silverado and Sierra. A luxury-inspired dash that closely mimics the dash in their GMT900 SUVs, and a "pickup" dash that is more upright to make way for a passenger seat in place of a center console. As of 2008, General Motors full size trucks are no longer sold in United States and Canada with manual transmissions, they are only offered in Mexico in the Silverado 1500 V6 engine and Silverado 3500."Silverado 1500 (Spanish site) All Silverado & Sierra 1/2 ton models received a revised bumper and shortened front fascia mid-way through the 2009 model year and a full mid-cycle refresh followed with all 2010 models, including new interior door panels (which moved the handle forward and added an additional cup holder) and a six-speed automatic transmission on regular and extended cab models with V8's was also made standard. Two new exterior colors were added: Taupe Gray Metallic and Sheer Silver Metallic. For the 2011 model year of the Silverado/Sierra, all production of the crew cab models will shift from Silao, Mexico to Flint, Michigan. Safety The Silverado comes standard with four-wheel ABS. StabiliTrak and side curtain airbags are optional on certain trim levels. 2007 NHTSA crash test: *Frontal Driver: *Frontal Passenger: *Side Driver: *Side Rear Passenger: *Rollover: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Silverado a "Good" score in their frontal crash test, however 2007-09 models equipped with or without optional side curtain airbags received a "Poor" rating in the side impact test. For 2010 models the side structure was strengthened, side torso air bags were added, and side airbags became standard, with the upgrades the IIHS side impact overall rating improved to "Acceptable". Military applications (Towing mirrors) |height= }} A military version of the 2003 Silverado is called MILCOTS (Militarized Commercial Off-The-Shelf or colloquially as the "Milverado") and is being purchased by the Canadian Army. CF has ordered 1,061 units from GM Defense. A similar but more armored platform is being used by the US Army under the COMBATT (Commercially Based Tactical Truck) program. The GM bid beat rival bids from Chrysler (Dodge RAM 2500/3500), Ford (F-350 Super Duty) and Hummer (H1097A2 Wagon). Awards * 1999 - Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year * 2001 - Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year (Heavy Duty Model) * 2001 - Car and Driver magazine's Best Pickup Truck * 2002 - Car and Driver magazine's Best Pickup Truck * 2003 - Car and Driver magazine's Best Pickup Truck * 2007 - North American Truck of the Year * 2007 - Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year * 2007 - ICOTY International Truck of the Year * 2007 - Truckin' '' magazine's '''Truck of the Year' * 2011 - Heavy Duty model won Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year Marketing ''Like a Rock'' campaign Like a Rock campaign emphasized Chevrolet Silverado as the most dependable, longest lasting truck on the road. The campaign ended in the 2004 model year. The song was Like a Rock by Bob Seger. ''Our Country. Our Truck.'' campaign On September 26, 2006, Chevrolet announced plans for a multi-media marketing campaign to support the 2007 Silverado full-size pickup as an extension to Chevrolet's An American Revolution campaign.Chevrolet Launches New 2007 Silverado "Our Country. Our Truck." Marketing Campaign The full campaign began on October 21, 2006 and featured the new tag line Our Country. Our Truck. The advertising videos used John Mellencamp's "Our Country" as their theme song. Two ads premiered during NBC's new Sunday Night Football in America. The first video, named Anthem, was designed to showcase the good and bad of the past half century and how America has made it through difficult times. The video is filled with images of historic moments in recent American history, such as a nuclear explosion, Rosa Parks on a bus, Martin Luther King giving a speech, the site of the former World Trade Center in the months after 9/11, Hurricane Katrina's devastation, then shows the trucks working to rebuild the devastated places, and ends with the tagline: This is our country. This is our truck. The final broadcast version did not include images of the nuclear explosion nor of the World Trade Center. Anthem has been criticized for using Civil rights activists to sell trucks and implying that there was a parallel between the struggles of the United States and the ongoing struggle General Motors is facing in today's marketplace. However, a representative from GM stated that this was not the intent of the advertisement. Rather, the intent was to show how the trucks are used for work purposes, and the main audience for these trucks is for work. The second video, titled Birthplace, showed average American developing vehicles by unconventional means. The campaign also included a 28 minute long infomercial, premiered on 2006-12-9. The infomercial starred former NFL football player Howie Long and Gary White, General Motors' North American vehicle line executive for full-sized trucks. The infomercial premiered on channels such as Speed Channel. A 24-page publication was to be included with magazines such as Motor Trend, Field & Stream and Popular Science.Mellencamp Sings for Silverado In January 2007, a Canadian version of Silverado ad started to appear, which was based on a variant of Birthplace previously shown on American channels. The ad uses a squared fonts for the texts, with images of forklifting timber, boy scouts, Dale Earnhardt, 'This is Our Chat Room' replaced by a skating hockey player, lighthouse on a rocky shoreline, and hockey player Bobby Orr. At the end of the video, the message was replaced by The Next Generation Chevy Silverado. The ad was being criticized for being unoriginal, and not truly reflecting Canadian values.This is Theiiiirrrrr Country After winning the 2007 Motor Trend Truck of the Year award, another version of the ad showed the Silverado itself, with the message 2007 Motor Trend Truck of the Year at the end. Canadian version of the ad only has cosmetic and slogan changes after the Silverado had won its award. Yearly American sales See also * Chevrolet pickup truck * Chevrolet Avalanche * General Motors C/K Trucks * Chevrolet S10/Chevrolet Colorado * List of hybrid vehicles References External links *Chevrolet.com - Official Chevrolet Silverado Website *GMC.com - Official GMC Sierra Website *SilveradoSierra.com - Specifically geared towards Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. < Category:All wheel drive vehicles Silverado pickup trucks|Sierra] Category:1990s automobiles Category:2000s automobiles Category:2010s automobiles Category:Vehicles introduced in 1998 Category:Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Category:Trucks built in the United States Category:Trucks built in Mexico Category:Trucks built in Venezuela Category:Trucks built in Canada